Method of destroying weeds.



W. HOSKINS.

METHOD OF DESTROYING WEEDS.

APPLICATION FILED 11:13.13, 1910.

970,375. Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

WILLIAM HOSKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLILlOIS.

METHOD OF DESTBOYING WEEDS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 13, 1910.

Application filed February 12, 1910. Serial No. 543,443.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Hosnms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chica 0, in the county of Cook and State of Illmois, have invented a new and useful Method of Destroying Weeds, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to a method of destroying weeds and to that end it consists in inserting into the substance of the weed to be destroyed a chemical substance having weed-killing pro erties made up in the form of a solid body but which is soluble under the action of the natural juices of the weed into which it is inserted, and in a form that will adapt it to' be applied to its pur se en'- peditiously, conveniently and cheap and in a manner to render it .certainl e ective without danger of exerting its destructive action on surrounding vegetation which it is wished not to destroy.

The weed for destroying which I have more particularly devised m improvement is the dandelion, though it is effective and intended .for use in destroying weeds gen-' erall y The chemical substance I Prefer to use for pu is ferric sul ate, Fe,(SO,g thou h any other substance having the esi pro rty is within my invention, which lies in t e embodiment of thedestroying substance in a solid com and which dissolves under the action 0 moisture, and in a formwhich adapts it to be readily introduced into the substance ofthe weed to be destroyed by its action. To this end I mix with the ferric sulfate, in powdered condition, and water in suitable quantity an agglutinant, preferably one that is soluble m water, and readily solidifies by as glucose, sugar, dextrin, glue, or the like, in the preferred roportions of ninety parts of the ferric sul ate to ten parts of the agglutinant, or thereabout. From the resultant they are ready l'astic compound, pill-like bodies are formed, y molding, or otherwise, and'they are then dried to. harden them, in which condition for the trade and for use.

The particular form in which I prefer to embogy the means for carrying out my meth drying, spch is that illustrated in the accompanyf ing drawing by a perspective'view in exaggerated dimensions.

' The drawing shows a pill 1 made of the described compound and hardened by drying, of general frusto-conical shape, being of elongated form and tapering to a sharp point 2 from its wider end 3. The preferred dimensions of theform shown are a full half-inch in length and about one-sixth inch across the wider end.

To use the sill-like article, one is introduced,b han into the substance of each weed to destro ed; and may be so introduced whatever the particular shapethereof may be. The operation is facilltated by the illustrated form of the'article, since, by being pointed, it is adapted to penetrate the w very readily by pressing it into the same. In usin my improved article for destro ing dande 'ons it is my practice to press a. pill 1 into the substance of each weed, in which it dissolves under the influence of the moisture therein and is absorbed; and within a few hours after the insertion the action of the chemical has killed the weed,

which is reduced thereb to a dry condition with the leaves withered.

'What I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. The method of destro consists in forcibly inserting into the substance of the weed to be destroyed a pointed body adapted to enter ciently so id to withstand the pressure essential to. such insertion, and containing a chemical substance having weed-killing erties soluble under the natural juices o weed, whereby the weed is destroyed without previous treatment.

2. The method of destroying weeds, which consists in inserting into the substance of the weed to be ,destroyed a chemical substance consisting of a mixture comprising ferric sul in the form of a solid body and soluble under the action of the natural juices in the weed.

A. Tnomn, R. A. Ramona.

ying weeds, which the weed and sufiifate and an agglutinant made up 

